
That’s pretty good advice. Now is all we are promised.

Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library

I’m sorry you’re having this painful experience. It means your standards for the final product are high. But it also means those standards are blocking your ability to begin. Sometimes, the first draft is just a step on the path to the final draft. I recommend the short essay “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott, in her book Bird by Bird: bit.ly/lamott-first. Bird by Bird at BC Libraries: Social Work Library, PN147 .L315 1995

I’m so sorry. That’s really hard, but also remarkably common. The key to life is not the absence of self-doubt (that’s very, very rare, and not altogether healthy) but the courage to keep going in spite of it. If you find that you can’t, consider talking to a professional. bit.ly/BC-counseling.

THERE ARE SO MANY AMAZING DINOSAURS! I could literally rave about any or all of them. BUT I have to say I love the Parasaurolophus. Did you know on the 2nd floor of O’Neill, in our digital studio, we scanned a hadrosaur egg for an earth sciences class? Swing by and ask them about it!

Please know I will miss you as well. Having exchange students in this community makes it richer and more vibrant and we all are so grateful you chose to spend some time with us! Best wishes on your next adventure!

Everyone needs to take breaks from being on their A-game. But how many and how long? It’s a matter of what kind of actions are necessary to achieve your ambitions, and how reasonable your ambitions are. I recommend the career office (bit.ly/BC-career), the academic counseling folks at the CFLC (bit.ly/BC-connors), and peer wellness coaches at the Center for Student Wellness (https://bit.ly/BC-wellness-coach) as starting points for grounding your balance and discipline in your goals.

She just manages to surround herself with people who assume they know what’s best for her. Like in New Moon when Edward’s like “this is for the best that I just totally abandon our relationship because my brother almost killed you,” and she didn’t even get a say? Like, dude, you can’t just make sweeping decisions for other people like that. Not cool. Then Jacob was flaky af during his angsty new werewolf phase. And then Alice pulls her little disappearing stunt in Breaking Dawn? She really should have just stuck with Angela as a bestie. Angela never would’ve done any of that.